If anyone were to be told that one of them was a coffee addict, they would have assumed that it was Bokuto after sparing one glance at the man jumping and screeching with constant energy bursts and another at the quiet, if a little resigned Akaashi that stood next to him, calming down whatever antic the other was up to that time.

Funnily enough, reality wasn’t always as simple as it seemed.

Akaashi Keiji, 16 years, setter of Fukurodani’s men’s volleyball team. Suffers from Bokuto-related migraines and severe caffeine addiction leading to minimal consumption of five cups of coffee a day. Likes sweet coffee, untouched nature, volleyball and punk rock. Bokuto Koutarou, 17 years, ace at Fukurodani’s men’s volleyball team. Oblivious to being the cause of Bokuto-related migraines and only drinks coffee when cramming for exams. Likes salty snacks, people, volleyball and Lana Del Rey songs.

However, it could be said that Bokuto was the cause of Akaashi’s coffee addiction. He had been the one to ask Akaashi to accompany him to his study sessions at a local coffee shop a little over a year ago, with a promise of buying Akaashi a coffee if he agreed to come. On that peculiar study session on late September, Akaashi drank the first cafe mocha of his life and fell in love. After that, there was no coming back from neither the coffee nor the ‘oh I have a crush on my teammate how did this happen’ hell for him. Liking Bokuto was as just as easy as liking coffee was; so easy that basically everyone liked the ace at least a little, unable to resist the sunshine smile and his ridiculous moods. But having a crush on the man was unbelievably hard on Akaashi for several reasons: 1. Bokuto had a severe lack of respect for others personal space, regularly wrapping his arm around Akaashi’s shoulder or petting his hair, causing the other’s heart go through gymnastics that would probably have worried doctors if they had seen it on a heart film. 2. Bokuto followed Akaashi around in a way that made him feel like a mother of a newborn duckling, always somewhere near him with something to say, causing Akaashi’s hopes to get up just for them to grumble down once Bokuto turned his attention to someone else with the same shine Akaashi was so used to seeing still present in his eyes. 3. Bokuto was popular. Very, very popular. Popular enough that Akaashi was utterly done with being asked about Bokuto’s relationship status by people whose names he didn’t even know. 4. Bokuto was both the cornerstone and baby of the team, and Akaashi couldn’t bring himself to risk the balance of the said team for the sake of something so selfish as confessing his feelings, scared that he’d push the other to one of his moods that even he couldn’t Bokuto out of. 5. Bokuto had taken over all of Akaashi’s thoughts up to a point where a day without him felt empty and lacking.

Akaashi stared down at his coffee cup, filled with warm, light brown liquid with whipped cream, and chocolate sauce that he knew he liked, that he knew he adored, that he knew he had craved since he had woken up in the morning. But now that he sat alone in the coffee shop, half drank mug in front of him, he had to admit he was disappointed, unable to tear his mind of the man who was supposed to be sitting on the stool opposite of him like he did every Monday. This week, however, Bokuto was sick at home with a fever instead, leaving Akaashi to walk into the shop alone and, apparently, to stare disappointedly at his coffee.

Sighing, he pulled out his phone. >> To: Bokuto-san I hope you are feeling better already. I’m at the cafe and it’s boring alone. >>To: Bokuto-san Get well soon.

Then, hesitantly, after glancing at the cup in front of him once more he braced himself to write down the closest thing to a love confession he would dare to voice.